


Once my flame and twice my burn

by Anonymous



Category: Canadian Actor RPF, Schitt's Creek (TV) RPF
Genre: Dan decides to move on, F/M, M/M, No HEA
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-04
Updated: 2020-07-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 01:00:09
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,053
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25075753
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/
Summary: Dan sends his regrets
Relationships: Dan Levy/Noah Reid
Comments: 3
Kudos: 17
Collections: Anonymous





	Once my flame and twice my burn

Dan looked up from his laptop to see Stacy come onto the patio bearing one of his more expensive bottles of Merlot and two glasses. He looked down at his watch and saw that it was almost 7:30. Slightly past their usual happy hour. He saved what he was working on and and looked up at her and smiled. 'Hi. Bringing out the good stuff tonight?' He gestured at the bottle she had put down on the table in front of him.

She reached for the opener and as she pulled out the cork she smiled gently back at him. 'Seems like that kind of day.' He shut his laptop and watched as she poured two generous glasses. She handed one to him and sat down. She lifted her glass and he moved to clink his with hers. They both took a sip and sat back savoring the gentle breeze that was lessening the intense heat of the day.

Dan glanced over at his best friend and tilted his head at the look on her face. She was studying him with a sad smile. He reached over and took her hand. She squeezed it and they sat like that for awhile, holding hands and drinking wine and listening to the sounds of the trees blowing in the gentle breeze. Dan cleared his throat. 'She called me.' Stacy looked at him. She didn't even have to ask who he was talking about. 'What did she say?'

Dan took another sip of wine. 'She said she was sorry I couldn't be at the wedding. That she and Noah were devastated, but she understood, what with the restrictions and my feelings about safety in this time.' He shrugged. 'It was a short conversation.'

Stacy looked at him again. He was in profile, but he looked almost, serene. Calm. There were no frown lines by his eyes. His jaw was relaxed. He looked like the stunning, beautiful man she knew. 'Well, I think this is for the best. You don't want to travel yet. They decided to have the wedding even though most people are unable to attend. I think it will be better for everyone involved.' She hesitated. 'Did Noah contact you?'.

Dan stood up and walked to the pool, frowning at all of the leaves in it. He picked up the skimmer and started to fish them out. 'He hasn't called. I haven't spoken to him since we taped the graduation special.' Dan thought Stacy was going to drop it, since she was quiet for a few minutes, but when he finished skimming and turned back towards her she spoke up again. 'Do you think he told her?'

Dan was sliding into the pool to swim a few laps, but he turned around and faced her, leaning his forearms on the edge. 'I can't say for sure, but if I had to guess I would say yes. Just a feeling. He, or maybe both of them, well, the decision has been made. I can't say I'm happy with it, but I need peace, Stace, I need peace.'

Stacy sipped her wine and looked at him behind her sunglasses, tears forming in her eyes. She knew her friend has finally made the decision to move on. His voice wasn't sad or angry or confused. It was steady and firm. It wasn't a tone she heard often from him when he was speaking about Noah. So it rattled her a little bit.

Dan moved around the pool a bit, lazily swimming a few feet back and forth. 'This is the one that broke me.' He swam back towards her and leaned on the edge. 'This is the one that finally broke me irrevocably, completely. It's the one what will change me forever. But I think when I realized that, when I saw that, how my heart shattered, how my soul was shattered, I think, I think I knew that I could finally heal. Not just from him and what he did. But from all of it. From all of the people in my past who hurt me in similar ways, thought not as deeply as he did. I have to start healing.'

Dan looked at his friend. She had taken her sunglasses off and walked over to the edge of the pool. She jumped in and put her arms around him, pulling him close to her, holding him tight. God he loved her so much. He wrapped himself around her small frame and squeezed her tight. She whispered into his bicep, 'I love you Dan. I will do anything you need to help you get through this.' He kissed the top of her head and pulled away slightly. 'I love you too. I wouldn't have been able to get through all of it so far without you.' She snuffled, 'Or maybe the whole thing is my fault since I brought him to you in the...' He cut her off. 'Don't. Don't say what you are about too say. You have no blame in this at all.'

They held each other for a few more minutes until Redmond walked up to them, wondering what was going on. He stood at the edge of the pool and barked at them, asking for attention. They laughed and turned to him, Dan moving to the edge to pet and kiss the true love of his life for a few minutes. Once satisfied, Redmond walked away and flopped down on his favorite outdoor bed.

The moment was over, so Dan went to swim a few laps, soothing his tight, sore muscles. Stacy went inside to gather some snacks for a charcuterie board and more wine. They spent a lovely night talking and laughing with each other about nothing, in only the way best friends can do. Neither of them noticed their phones buzzing for a couple of hours.

Noah: I miss you both very much. I am devastated you aren't going to be there.

By the time they both saw the message on their individual phones, it was late and they were both in their respective bedrooms. They both looked at the message and pressed delete, almost simultaneously and put their phones down and went to bed. It was the best sleep either of them had in a very long time.

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Shadowboxer by Fiona Apple


End file.
